Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the books of Genesis through 2Kings are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.

2CHRONICLES
CHAPTER 9

1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. 2 And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.

Most scholars agree that the "Queen of Sheba" was the ruler of the Sabeans. They were the Arabians around the Gulf of Aquaba and were probably concerned that Solomon's power would cause problems with their trade routes. The Sabeans had become very rich from world trade.
The queen had heard many rumors about Solomon's wealth, power, wisdom and religion. She wanted to confirm them. She had questions, actually riddles, prepared for Solomon to answer.
Solomon answered ALL her questions or riddles and left out nothing in his answers.

3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, 4 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. 5 And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom: 6 Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard. 7 Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom. 8 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.

The Queen of Sheba also noticed what was going on around Solomon. He had a great house, wonderful servants, and more than adequate food. The servants weren't only attired with find clothing but also with smiling and content attitudes. She could readily notice BOTH!
When people have their focus on God, His blessings are both physical and spiritual.
The queen admitted she had thought all the rumors too good to be true. But now that she had seen, she was convinced the rumors didn't do justice to Solomon and his people.
She was also convinced that God, Jehovah, was genuinely blessing Israel (verse 8).

9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon. 10 And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones. 11 And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the LORD, and to the king's palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah. 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

This queen alone brought Solomon 120 talents of gold, plus jewels and many spices. This amounted to about 144,000 ounces of gold, or about $56 million dollars in our prices today!
Then, king Huram's servants brought gifts from Huram: algum trees, gold and precious stones.
Notice that Solomon put EVERYTHING to USE (verse 11). And he denied nothing to any request that the Queen of Sheba made. Anything from Israel that she wanted she could have. That's good public relations.

13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold; 14 Beside that which chapmen and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one target. 16 And three hundred shields made he of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. 17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays: 19 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom. 20 And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

All that Solomon received as gifts from other kingdoms he USED for the people of Israel.
And God RICHLY blessed him and them.
The "targets" in verses 15-16 were actually shields. Each of the shields in verse 15 weighed about 15 pounds, and were made out of beaten gold! That's about $70,000 per shield! Each of the shields in verse 16 weighed about 5 pounds - worth approximately $24,000.
The great throne of ivory overlaid with gold, the footstool, and the lions represented the power not of Solomon, but of God! JESUS is the "Lion of the tribe of Judah!"
Gold was so "common" in Solomon's reign that all the drinking vessels in his house were made of it.
But POSSESSIONS aren't EVERYTHING!!
---Did you hear about the fella that wanted to take a suitcase of money to heaven when he died? He prayed many times, but God always said, "No." Finally God thought he'd teach the man a lesson. So he told him when he died he could bring ONE suitcase filled with money.
Well, the guy went and transferred all his cash, saving, savings bonds, and stocks into gold. He put all that gold into one suitcase - and then he died.
When he got to the pearly gates, Peter said, "You can't bring anything in here!"
But the man told him God had given him special permission. So Peter telephoned God and asked. God said, "Yes. But you have to LOOK in the suitcase first."
So Peter told the man he had to look. The man opened the suitcase and Peter saw all the gold. Then Peter began to laugh, and laugh, and laugh. The man asked, "Why are you laughing?" Peter said, "I can't believe you brought PAVEMENT to heaven!!"---
There'll be a day, when Jesus reigns eternal over men in glory, and gold will be "common." An that's because the MOST IMPORTANT thing about human beings is their contentment in a relationship with GOD!

21 For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. 22 And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart. 24 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, harness, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year. 25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. 26 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. 27 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the low plains in abundance. 28 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.

God had promised that Solomon would receive the wisdom that he requested, and that he also would receive riches and power that he'd NOT requested.
Verse 22 says that Solomon (and Israel) became the riches king in all the world! He was also the WISEST king in all the world!
Verse 26 says he ruled over everyone from the Euphrates river to Egypt. That was literally all the land that God had promised to Abraham.
This was a very INFLUENTIAL kingdom. And God USED that. Virtually EVERY nation became familiar with the Name - JEHOVAH! And many proselytes came into the faith of God.

29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

Then Solomon died. His reign had been 40 years. David's reign had been 40 years. This nation had been under godly rule for 80 years!
Now there's no doubt that these men were both sinners. Their sins are RECORDED.
However, these men loved God and tried to lead the nation in a godly manner.
God honored their commitment, and blessed the nation with power, honor, riches, glory and praise.
We'll see a shift from that leadership, and those blessings, in the next chapter.

Please continue in Bible Study with us.